The above is the title of my new book, where I share what my husband and my life change – from living in Stockholm to living and sailing around the world – has done to me. In this series of articles, I will share and reflect on my biggest takeaways.
The first article addresses the importance of being committed, as there is so much that can stop us from realising a dream. This second takes up the existential question about how we can live a life we love.
A Life We Love
For me, who has worked as a coach for a large part of my adult life, development is a key to a meaningful life. I felt that I had it to a great extent when I lived in Stockholm with my husband. We had been together for twenty years and lived in the same apartment in Södermalm, a cool part of the city. We both run our own businesses, and I was happy to have achieved the highest possible qualification (MCC) as a coach. From time to time, we both participated in various training courses for spiritual and personal development.
The Predicted Future
That’s when my husband said one day: “Think how nice this apartment will be when we get older – we will be able to walk with our walkers to the hospital nearby.” He was talking about Södersjukhuset, the nearby hospital where I was born. At the same time, he heard the absurdity of what he had just said and realised that it was not a very exciting future. We were too young to plan our very last days. “Let’s create something new and fun,” he said.
Think about your future for a moment – what do you see when you look ahead five or ten years?
Honestly, I wasn’t very creative myself at this point in my life. The only thing I had come up with so far was finding a new apartment with more light for my flowers. It took a summer of bad weather and a lot of time together to come up with a braver idea.
There Is More in Life
Now, six years after the idea was realised, I can see that my thinking then about living and working was within the framework of what was familiar to me. The same with sailing, always in the Baltic Sea.
Now my vision has broadened, and I can see many alternative ways to live a wonderful life. So, it helps to gain perspective. It helps to put the present into words and to be curious about what else you can do with your one beautiful life.
What else do you want to experience in your life? Find a new place to reflect on the question. Preferably, where you have a lot of view in front of you. Just listen and be curious about what comes to you.
See you!
Kind regards from Anna Eriksson
Independent coach and author
28/5-25, Santa Cruz, Tenerife